Control device for picker sticks



Oct. 20, 1936.v H. A. TURNER I CONTROL DEVICE FOR PICKER STICKS Filed Oct. 19, 1935 Patented Oct. 20, 1936 CONTROL DEVICE FOR PICKER STICKS Henry A. Turner, Union, S. C., assigner to Guaranteed Parts, Inc., Allston, Mass.

Application October 19, 1935, Serial No. 45,691

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a control device for a picker stick for looms and particularly to a control device which will function to check the movement of the shuttle and aid in bringing it to a stop in the shuttle box.

A certain picker stick mechanism for looms, well known in the art, is equipped with a. picker stick which upon being actuated to throw the shuttle through the shed is returned toward its rearward or normal position by means of a helical spring and leather strap which are operatively connected to the heel of the picker stick. The spring and strap of this mechanism are constructed and arranged to return the picker stick to its extreme rearward position but the movement of the picker stick is intercepted by means of a leather check strap which is utilized to retard and check the shuttle upon its return movement to the shuttle box. This check strap for the shuttle is subjected to very hard usage and must be replaced frequently. The helical spring and leather strap which act to return the picker stick toward its rearward position are not adapted to and cannot in any manner be made to function to retard the movement of the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical and effective device for causing a picker stick to be returned to an intermediate position and for thereafter checking the movement of the shuttle and aiding in bringing it to a stop in the shuttle box in a positive and uniform manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device for accomplishing the object hereinbefore mentioned without it being necessary to provide expensive additional parts for the loom, and at the same time making it possible to dispense with the leather check strap also hereinbefore mentioned.

The invention consists in a control device for a picker stick as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawing:-

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a control device for a picker stick embodying my invention, certain portions thereof being broken away to save space in the drawing.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the parallel tongue.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the drawing, I represents a bracket commonly known as the parallel of a parallel motion of a loom, said bracket being secured to a stationary shaft 2 by means of a set screw 3. Mounted upon an upper fiat surface 4 of thev bracket I is a parallel shoe 5, the under surface 6 of which is curved to permit said shoe to have a rocking movement on the at surface of the bracket I. The shoe is held in position in the bracket I by means of a projection 'I formed as a part of said bracket, said projection passing upwardly through a slot 8 provided in the shoe 5 and allowing a free backward and forward movement of the shoe upon the surface 4.

A picker stick 9 and parallel tongue Ill are secured in unison to the shoe 5 by means of a bolt Il and washer I2, said parallel tongue being interposed between the picker stick 9 and the shoe 5. The picker stick and tongue project downwardly from the shoe through an opening I3 provided in the bracket I, and a surface I4 of the shoe engages a wedge I5 which is seated in a recess I6 provided in the bracket I. A screw I1 mounted in the shoe 5 may be used to vary the position of the tongue I0 and picker stick 9 with respect to the shoe 5, if it is so desired, for purposes well known to those skilled in the art.

The picker stick 9 is actuated in a well known manner by a mechanism not illustrated in the drawing, but well known to those skilled in the art, to throw a shuttle I8 from a shuttle box across the lay of the loom and through the shed, and said shuttle is returned to its intermediate position by means of a strap I9 and helical spring 20. The strap I9 is doubled upon itself to form a loop 2I which passes around and is secured to a lower portion 22 of the parallel tongue Ill. The strap I9 extends from the tongue I0 partially around a drum 23 and is attached to a hook portion 24 of the spring 20. The drum 23 is rotatably mounted upon a sleeve 25 which is clamped by means of a bolt 26 to a depending portion 2'I of the bracket I. The helical spring 20 is wound loosely around a portion of the sleeve 2 5, and the hook portion 24 at one end of said spring passes through a slot 28 provided in the drum 23, while a hook portion 29 at the other end of the spring projects into a slot 30 provided therefor in the sleeve 25. The spring 20, drum 23, sleeve 25 and bolt 26 are all old and well known in the art and the tension upon the spring 20 may be varied as may be desired by loosening the bolt 26 and manipulating the sleeve 25.

The general operation of the device hereinbefore specifically described is as followsz-After the picking motion, well known in the art, has been actuated to cause the picker stick 9 to be moved to its forward position thereby throwing the shuttle I8 through the shed, the spring 20 having been tightened by the forward movement of the picker stick will act to pull said picker stick rearwardly into an intermediate position and approximately as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing where it will remain until it is engaged by the shuttle upon its return movement. The picker stick will then be moved into a position approximately as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l, at which time the lower extremity of the parallel tongue moving in unison with the picker stick will be raised causing the strap I9 to pull the hook portion 24 of the spring 20 in the direction of the arrow, with the. result that I claimf A control device for picker sticks comprising a bracket, a parallel shoe mounted to rock thereon, a picker stick fast to said shoe, a parallel tongue interposed between said picker stick and shoe and adapted `to rock in unison therewith, said parallel tongue being provided with a cross bar at its lower extremity, a tension device mounted upon said bracket, and a strap operatively connectingsaid tension device to said tongue, said strap being folded upon itself to form aloop, and said loop extending from said tension device to and around said cross bar, whereby the picker stick is moved from its forward position toward its rearward position and caused to stop at anintermediate position and the movement of a shuttle in a shuttle boX is thereby checked.

HENRY A. TURNER. 

